


Damn it, it is cold as hell

by Pinetasticapple



Series: 30 Day Cheesy Tropes challenge [6]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, M/M, Salt And Burn, Walks In The Woods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-22
Updated: 2014-06-22
Packaged: 2018-02-05 17:04:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1825714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinetasticapple/pseuds/Pinetasticapple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was meant to be a simple hunt. It was supposed to be a simple salt and burn routine in the outskirts of Toledo, Ohio. It didn’t have to be one of the worst weekends of Dean’s life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Damn it, it is cold as hell

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7: Stuck Someplace Together in Winter  
> From this trope list: http://ghiraher.tumblr.com/post/37135733342/30-day-cheesy-tropes-challenge  
> Not that proud about this one if I'm honest.

It was meant to be a simple hunt. It was supposed to be a simple salt and burn routine in the outskirts of Toledo, Ohio. It didn’t have to be one of the worst weekends of Dean’s life.

Dean wasn’t that pleased with the idea of driving mid-January all the way to just find a ghost but hey, it was the right thing to do, right? Plus, Sam said it wasn’t going to take them that long to check it out. And Cas said he would catch up with them a day later so, no problem right?

Fourteen hours of driving, researching, more driving and finding the remains later he was totally regretting the trip. And he was probably going to make Sam pay for all of this, if he managed to get out of course.

Because there he was, one leg trapped in between a fallen tree and the hard ground, in the woods with just three bullets left to use and wearing his usual outfit plus an extra jacket.

He tried calling for Sam but the younger Winchester wasn’t responding, and on top of his luck, his phone had been smashed during the downhill slip he had faced moments ago. Just peachy. What kind of ghost decided to haunt abandoned cabins anyway?

He even tried calling, praying for Cas, but the angel was not responding. The only thing keeping him from cursing at his luck was the probability of it getting even worse. That was something he certainly didn’t need at the moment. There was snow sure, but the sky looked surprisingly clear with no probability of a storm coming. But the sun was coming down and the temperature was dropping fast, he was shivering already and damn it why did his phone have to die on him?

Two hours had passed and no sign of his brother or Cas around. Dean had tried to move the trunk away but when he tried to push the log it just bulged to a side and fell on his bone. He hoped he hadn’t broken his leg after that failed stunt.

Just then his stomach decided to groan in hunger, Dean rolling his eyes at his luck. This was it, he supposed, he was going to finally die, alone, stuck thanks to a tree and looking like a frozen figurine.

He yawned, the exhaustion making its presence and maybe he could sleep it off if he just closed his eyes for a minute…

“Fuck!” Dean jerked himself awake, now was not the time for that. He needed to get out and he needed to get out fast, his hands were feeling numb and his breathing had started to slow down. Worse, what if Sam was trapped? What if Cas couldn’t hear him?

The seconds passed slowly in Dean’s opinion, already losing track of how many hours he had been stuck there. His thoughts were drifting; his breathe suddenly slower, his head lolling to a side, only to force himself awake. Within minutes he had started to think that Sam had just left him for dead, that Cas would no longer try to go for him. Why would they? He was a failure, a burden, the poisonous human who tortured souls in Hell for years.

Why would they even try?

Cas knew something was wrong when it was Sam, not Dean, the one calling for him. He arrived to the motel room where a frantic Winchester was pacing and fiddling with one of their mobile phones. There was no sign or Dean around except for his duffel bag on top of one bed. Sam explained the situation to the now distressed angel, how they had split in the woods so Sam could go for the cursed object and how he hadn’t heard of Dean ever since, which had been hours ago.

Worse of it, Cas couldn’t hear Dean’s calls or prayers, he couldn’t pinpoint his location and he even felt something strange around the place.

It was sunset when Sam and Cas discovered the angel sigils carved in the borderline of the trees, forbidding Cas of tracing Dean. Sam managed to destroy them but nightfall was upon them and the weather was unbearable for the young Winchester.

“I’ll go find Dean” Cas said “you go back, I understand lower temperatures can produce long term repercussions”

“Alright, alright Cas just, please call me the moment you find him” Sam replied grimly, aware that the angel was right about the weather but frustrated he couldn’t do more to help out in finding his brother.

Castiel stepped into the woods once the final sigil had been destroyed, his senses keening in the looks for the older Winchester. He walked a good distance when he felt the faint but present pulse that belonged to Dean. Cas flied as fast as he could towards him, taking the sight of what had happened.

He didn’t hesitate to lift with no problem the fallen tree that had Dean’s leg trapped, but he feared for Dean.

“St…me” he heard Dean’s voice, barely a whisper despite the quiet of the woods “pl..se”

“Dean, Dean it’s me” Cas moved closer.

“C…s” Dean’s head was resting against his shoulder, his breathing shallow, his lips were dry and there was trace of blood on one corner. Castiel knew Dean was showing signs of hypothermia, and for one moment, for one split of second, Cas forgot he had the ability to heal him in an instant.

“Dean” Cas held the hunter’s face, his eyes glassy at how _dead_ Dean almost looked. He then remembered he still had his Grace and concentrated in giving Dean the warmth he needed, the recovery Dean was desperate to get back.

There was a bright light surrounding them in an instant, emanating from Cas’ hands as he concentrated on healing Dean, his body temperature, his almost gone leg, just to get Dean safe.

“Please Dean” Cas muttered, feeling his hands heating with the Grace he was using “please”

“C… Cas?” Cas felt the relief flooding through his vessel “What the hell man?”

“You were almost dead” Cas muttered “there were sigils around I couldn’t hear you”

Dean blinked at him, still feeling the sleep in his voice and limbs “I thought…”

“Dean, you couldn’t possibly think we would abandon you”

Dean leaned against Cas’ touch; it felt warm and soothing, something he hated to admit but craved during those long hours alone in the woods.

He did think it was the end, he was already thinking they had left him to die in the cold, his mind had played him tricks for so long he was giving into it. Yet Cas was there, warming Dean even if his body no longer needed it.

“We should get moving” Cas said, in one movement lifting Dean. It wasn’t necessary, Dean’s leg was fine and the hunter was feeling the energy returning to his worn body, but it gave Cas a sense of protection over him, like if he held him close enough nothing would harm Dean.

And because Castiel remembered how sickening it would be to ‘zap’ them back to the motel were Sam was waiting, that he decided to walk all the way out of the woods, with Dean cradled tightly in his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Next is...sex pollen?  
> How will I ever do that?


End file.
